Anyone seeing double?

A couple of weeks ago I received this picture of a frozen [double] yolk and the short corresponding email from my sister Debbie -  Subject line: From m.om  Content: "She cracked a double egg yolk. She wants to know if there is something you want to tell us :p"
 
The background is that when my sister told us she was pregnant with our nephew, my mom believed that she had somehow saw this coming because she had recently cut open a papaya and found a small "baby" papaya inside.  It became a running joke in our family, and because they didn't find out the sex until his birth, we even called her pregnant bump "Baby Papaya" for the remainder of her pregnancy.  About a year later, I was prepping to host a friend's wedding shower and I cut open a green pepper to find a baby pepper inside, and since my sister Aimee was there to witness this, we joked about who that could indicate pregnancy for, and yet little did we know at that time that my sister Debbie was pregnant again!  Now you can see what the silly/funny family hype is all about when my mom discovered this double yolk (aside from the fact that apparently our perceived powers to predict pregnancy has moved beyond mere produce!), but I had to let them down and tell them that no, I was not pregnant, much less with twins. 
 
So the question is, who is, and do you even know it??  Only time will tell, unless you'd like to step forward and reveal your secret now :).

Holiday Helping Hands

This past weekend was such a great kickoff to Christmas season for us!  4 events over 3 days that just warmed the holiday cockles (?) of my heart :).  Singing, volunteering, time with friends and of course, breaking bread.
 
In particular, I wanted to give a big shout out to the 15 ladies that I along with my co-hostesses (a.k.a Asian sistas) Kim & Aimee know from or through our church who gathered together Friday night to donate cookies and assemble packages for the clients that we work with through serving at Open Hands Food Pantry, Central Detroit Christian and one that I volunteer with, Judson Center.  The picture shows part of the 200 cookie & candy packets that we were able to start distributing along with some bibles, and we are truly grateful for your generosity.  I was so thrilled by the abundance of our results (fishes & loaves, right Jodi? :) - THANK YOU!!   While just a small gesture to some communities that are hurting, our hope was to spread a little Christmas joy to others in obedience to God calling us to continually care for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
 
Despite the recession, Americans have already spent over $16 billion this holiday season - and that's just online sales!  Please, please remember your neighbors in need as you plan your Christmas giving.

A love like this

Happy birthday to my dear husband!!!  Love you truly, madly, deeply ;).

Say cheese

Today was not a good day, so posting this picture forced a little smile out of me.   We were cleaning up after a hearty Thanksgiving meal just a couple weeks ago, and as our friends had departed for the evening, it just left our family to pack up and the kids/grandkids to head home.  Then our soon-to-be-5-yr-old nephew declared that we were going to take a picture, and then just started pulling us all in even though we were scattered about and asking his mom/my sister to set up the automatic setting on the camera as he'd obviously seen used before.  So while not the most flattering of photos :), the result was the first one of our whole family since we've been married, in fact we don't even have one from our wedding (I know, I know, Mom, I'm sorry!!).  Here's to giving thanks for each of them...

Rethinking heroes

This photo is about 6 years old, and has been in my office ever since even though I'm not a golf fan, at the time it was a cool opportunity to get the picture and I had joined the ranks of those who admired his unprecedented rise to the top of his game.  I was trying to think of some funny story to accompany it and pretend that it and the autograph was solicited in some shady way, but that would be a lie and frankly I'm too tired to be that witty after being on the road for a couple of days including some late night and early morning work conference calls. 

Anyone else anticipate a "but I'm human" type of excuse?  There's no doubt that I've made plenty of mistakes in my life, and certainly as humans we are prone to err and sin, but really how far does that go when one continues to show poor judgment and disrespect their loved ones?  Reaches that cliche slippery slope far too easily, if you ask me.

Re-entry

Why is it so hard to truly get back into your routine after you've had a few days off of work?  Sure, there's emails and voicemails to trudge through to keep you busy, maybe even some friendly holiday watercooler chat with colleagues, but I for one dived back into bed for 15 minutes this morning after turning off my alarm, then lingered in the shower until my fingers wrinkled.  Perhaps it was simply coming off of a high of having an extended weekend to do so many things that I enjoy so much; spending time with my husband, family and friends new and old, cooking & baking (then eating without reserve - ahem), even a little sprinkle of yoga, shopping, and holiday decorating in between - glorious!   Now the reality sets back in, so on this Monday I am trying hard to put being gracious and grateful into practice.
 
But for an easy smile I thought I'd share a pic of our nephew from warmer weather last month who makes getting into the swing of things look super fun! 

 

Our fortune

Many of you have heard at least a version of Luke 12:48, something along of the lines of "unto whom much is given, much will be required."  Seems fair, right?  But sometimes I'm overwhelmed by this concept, because I feel that I have been blessed with so much in my life, and yet I wonder if I'm doing enough in return.  Do I really give enough of myself at work, at home, to my friends, family and community?  What is it that has been/will be required of me?  It's humbling to be reminded that everything we have has been given to us, and we shouldn't be mistaken with the belief that we earn or somehow deserve any of it. 
 
Here's to remembering we are blessed, friends.  Happy Thanksgiving!

 

A plug for the Volt

November 19, 2009 http://www.freep.com/

Pun intended! But just thought I'd take up a long post to share a recent article in the Detroit Free Press about the project team the hubby is working on - because I'm proud of him :).

November 19, 2009 www.freep.com
Evolution of the Chevy Volt
Engineers work to fix glitches by deadline
by Mark Phelan

From charging the Chevrolet Volt's revolutionary power system to washing the car, everything about the extended-range electric vehicle is new, but Volt owners must find it familiar and easy to use.

Racing to meet those twin goals on an unprecedentedly tight schedule, the engineering team working on the Volt has 25 to 30 of them on the road at all times. The deadline is the Volt's on-sale date in about a year.
"There's still a lot to do, and not much time," chief engineer Andy Farah said Monday. "It's all part of the natural evolution of any engineering program, but at warp speed." Every system, every part must be double-checked and idiot-proofed. Volt engineering manager Nate Fitzpatrick sent his 10-year-old son out to plug the Volt in for charging. "I didn't give him any directions. I wanted to see if we'd made it easy for the owner," Fitzpatrick said. "He figured it out right away."

Troubleshooting the Chevy Volt

The rush program to get the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric car on sale in a year has become a 24/7 job for engineers charged with developing the car that's intended to revolutionize the auto industry and reinstate General Motors as a leader in advanced technology.

"We're learning all the time," Volt chief engineer Andy Farah said as seven of the team met for a breakfast debriefing at Athens Coney Island in Royal Oak on Monday after driving the cars all weekend. The Volt has a 40-mile range on battery power and a small engine that serves as a generator of electric power for longer trips. "I've been bustin' around all morning, and the engine hasn't started yet," Farah said. "The trip computer said I got 260 miles a gallon over the weekend." Farah recharged the car at home between drives, allowing it to operate nearly entirely on battery power.

The daily test drives have led to changes in everything from how owners will recharge the Volt to an eleventh-hour redesign of the door for its charging port after it fell off in car washes. The Volt should get a 210-m.p.g. Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy rating in city driving, according to GM's projections. GM built about 80 Volt test cars. Most of the Volts in Athens' parking lot were built to test a specific system, so the engineers compared notes.

"You've got the good aerodynamic package," Volt engineering manager Nate Fitzpatrick said to controls manager Chris Kinser, whose Volt had a nearly invisible air dam below its bumper. "That reduces four counts of aerodynamic drag. I'd give my little finger for four counts of drag," he said, waving his hand over the table.
"They call me 'Stubby,' but it's a great car."

Over the laughter, Rob Bolio, lead development engineer, described the crisis of the car wash. The cover for the Volt's charging port kept falling off. "The guy who runs the car wash came up to me with a box of parts and said, 'You might have a problem here,' " Bolio remembered. After a quick design revision, Bolio and a designer engineer spent four hours taking Volts through the car wash with no damage except to their patience.

"We're easygoing," Fitzpatrick said. "When there's an issue, we give them 24 hours to address it. This has all the challenges of any new vehicle -- and all this brand-new technology. It makes the timing particularly challenging."

For every question any new car must answer -- how do the brakes feel, does the navigation system work and a thousand more -- there's a question that's unique to the Volt. With the first test cars, Bolio woke up two or three times a night to check to see whether they were charging in his driveway. Since then, they've added a light to signify the car is plugged in and charging, a subtle "charging now" beep and a timer.

"Owners can set the car to charge whenever they like," Farah explained. "Just like big commercial customers, they can take advantage of the really low electricity rates in the middle of the night. It's like a programmable coffeemaker; you tell it when you want the car to be ready to go, and it'll be charged for you." The timer can be set for different charging times on weekdays, weekends, or a unique time for each day of the week.

The meaning of friendship

After talking to some friends this weekend going through some difficult times,  I started thinking about what friendship really means.  For me this definition has changed over the years in my adulthood.  I feel blessed to count many people in my circle of friends - those I went to school with, used to work with, go to church with, met through other friends - and this group includes people I grew up with and people I've only met recently.  Last week I mentioned that I was thinking about people who you stay in contact with over the years and miles even though you don't see or talk to them often.  Then there are other friends whom you only remain close to for a season, and certainly that is of value too (or at least for the most part :).  
 
Sure, there are friends that you might only meet up or call for a catch-up once in a while, others are part of a group that you get together with a couple of times a year, some you get together with weekly for social outings, friends you would welcome into your home for a meal, those that you could call in the middle of the night with an emergency, and still others that wouldn't mind handing you multiple tissues or sit on the phone listening to you cry.  So, at the risk of being sentimental, I would like to express my thanks for all of the people I can call "friend", what a richness you have brought to my life!
 
"My friends are my estate." - Emily Dickinson

Best in class

While I do not normally follow boxing at any level, I'd be lying if I said I had no interest at all in recently reading/hearing about the star of the Philippines, Manny Paquiao (who just won the WBO welterweight title against Miguel Cotto and solidified his stature of the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, in case you have no clue as to what I'm talking about).  In fact, I may or may not have walked around the house this weekend imitating (what I believe to be) finesse boxing moves and chanting "Pakyaw! Pakyaw! Pakyaw!", all to some amusement from my lone roomie a/k/a husband.
 
So for the moment I'm going to reserve my comments about the blood sport and exert a little silly Filipino pride, even as the spotlight on Manny shines a bit on Filipino politics and certain less than desirable areas in my parents home country.
 
Who's next??!?

Making the old new again

Last weekend we bought and moved (ouch) this cool cabinet, my first Craig's List purchase having gone quite smoothly.  I don't even remember why I even started looking through the website last week, but this item caught my eye and after a couple of phone calls and trips out to West Bloomfield, it's in our family room.  It's from the 1930's but just needs a little wood polish and a new door pull (hence the bits of masking tape), isn't it quaint?  Our nephew came over and glanced over casually at it and without solicitation for his 4-yr-old opinion he declared that he liked it, which pleased me :)!
 
I love when things retain their timelessness so effortlessly.  I thought about this again in a different context this week while making plans with two different groups of friends to get together over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and also when my cousin called me from California and another friend who just moved back from overseas checked in just for a quick hello.  People that are dear to me that I don't see or talk to all that often due to physical distance or just busy lives, but with whom conversation and laughter come as easily as the last time when we get together.  In theory we should treat all of our longstanding relationships as if they were a cherished shiny new penny, so that they are reminded of their worth to us!   

 

Falling back

So I don't know about you, but not only did I embrace the extra hour of sleep due to the time change this weekend, but yesterday (Monday) for some reason I just felt zapped of energy last night when I got home and passed out on the couch at an embarrassingly early hour!  That and the pretty red tree leaves that I mentioned just last weekend have mostly fallen off, how is it that my favorite season can be so fleeting? 
 
Hopefully you don't have an excuse on this clear fall day to not vote, remember that it is election day and even if there are only a few items on your local ballot, it is important that we all exercise this right. I went to my precinct during lunchtime, and sadly the only other person checked off on the "Mc" page of names so far was the hubs (who, I should note, charged out of the house this morning with his travel coffee mug in hand declaring that "when I live in a country where I have the right to vote, it is a good day!!" :).  Especially when you consider that women were only granted the right to vote less than 100 years ago, let's remember 'tis a privilege indeed...
 
 

Purdue pic

My father-in-law (otherwise known as "Mr. Mac") sent this post-game picture of the three of us from our trip down to the Purdue last weekend, and even with our featured hat hair you can see that we survived the rain in style, me with my stylin' tie-dye t-shirt.  Does anyone else think that the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree?? ;)   Boiler up!

 

 

Falling for fall

We took another quick trip this past weekend, first to Saugatuck in West Michigan for a little shopping (let us know if you need a great restaurant recommendation in the area that we got from friends), then down to Indiana to meet the Barton's parents at Purdue to watch the Boilermakers win against Illinois.  Doesn't that sound like some good Midwestern fun, folks?  Well it certainly was, and as a bonus during our drive time we got to see the leaves change to their vibrant palate of fall colors right before our very eyes.  And then when we arrived home, we saw that the trees on our street (pictured) had themselves turned a wonderful flaming red while we were gone!

It's my favorite Michigan weather time of year, no doubt.  Despite the shorter days and the dread of the coming winter, brisk walks in the crisp air with the crunch of leaves underfoot can give one a renewed sense of purpose, and any excuse to eat apple pie is welcome in my book!  Hanging with friends around a campfire, at football games or a cider mill, or seeing families outside playing in the piles of leaves just warms my little heart :).  Cheers to your fall happiness!

 

The sweetest thing

I always thought that Sweetest Day was a contrived holiday by the card companies, only celebrated in the Midwest.  Turns out that in 1922, Herbert Birch Kingston, an employee of a candy company in Cleveland Ohio, began handing out candy to those that he believed felt "forgotten" - orphans, the elderly, homebound people etc.  Who knew?? (okay, maybe you already did, but I didn't!)

 

So while it's always nice to treat your loved ones to something special, consider what the Sweetest Day holiday was originally meant for, and perhaps instead spend time with them by volunteering at a homeless shelter, or take up a collection at the office or in your study group and go and deliver candy to a local orphanage or flowers to a senior center.  Coincidentally, tomorrow the hubby & I will be attending an auction for the non-profit Judson Center (www.judsoncenter.org) that serves children & families with a variety of social services, but now I will be conscious about what we do in future years to celebrate Sweetest Day.  Leave the red roses for Valentine's Day, and show some love for your less fortunate neighbors!

352 to 287

Please understand that I do realize that I am a competitive person (duh), and have done more than a little trash-talking when playing games or certain sports.  Knowing this should help make better sense of me saying that it drove me a little batty to find out early on that my husband is good, no great, at most board/card games - which means that unless we are on the same team, many times I must lose.  Ugh. 

 

So forgive me while I continue my little victory dance for round 1 (match to be continued!) of Scrabble from the other night.  You can see from the picture that there were not very long or complicated words involved, but we each used all of our tiles to finish the game, and I won fair & square!  This has only happened once before so I felt the need to make a silly historic note of it :).  Take solace, hon, as you'll always be the smarter one!

Birthday Wishes

Today is my great aunt Mary's 91st birthday. She is such an amazing woman, and has lived a life of generosity and humility. She went to Purdue, where she stayed in the dorms with Amelia Earhart and earned a degree in dietetics. She served as a nurse in World War II, spending most of her time at a military hospital in Australia. At the close of the war, she served in Manila, finding food for the survivors of the Bataan death march. She helped care for my father and his brother after the death of my grandmother when my dad was only four. She spent many years working for the residence halls of Indiana University, and now lives in the Dallas area. Up until a few years ago, she delivered meals as a part of Meals on Wheels. She is very adept at modern technology, and is a huge sports fan. This past year, when my parents were visiting, they found that the Purdue NCAA tournament game was not being televised in Dallas. No worries - Aunt Mary fired up her computer so they could watch the game on the internet!

Happy Birthday!

Time in the D

I was interested to read Time magazine this week (October 5, 2009 edition) that featured "The Tragedy of Detroit" on its cover as well as an announcement that they decided to buy a house in the city and have some staffers live there and report from the D in order to provide fairer coverage - good and bad news alike - as stakeholders. I, too, consider myself a stakeholder.  I was born & raised in the suburbs of Detroit, went to school in the city, and the hubby & I decided early on that save for an absolute need for a move due to employment, we would plant our own family roots in this region as well.
 
I admittedly teared up clicking through the link to photos of Detroit's "beautiful, horrible decline".  But Time's cover article also mused that if Detroit is truly open to new industry and reinventing itself, it could make for a great story.  So I'm going to follow along and check out the coverage over the next year, care to join me?  www.time.com/detroit

 

A yurt by any other name, part 2

The hubby wasn't feeling 100% on Friday when we left, so I was driving, with sis Aimee in tow in the Enclave  - which I must mention suffered collateral damage, well really just collected lots of sand in the interior but it was pretty traumatizing to me as one of its new owners!  ("Jave the Clave" is pictured here next to one of the yurts pre-sandbath at the beach).  Soon we are at the ready to provide identification and answer questions at the border.  We are asked the normal questions about citizenship and duration of our stay, then the questioning turns to:
 
Canadian customs agent:  Where are you folks headed?
Me:  To the Pinery in Grand Bend, Ontario.
Canadian customs agent: And what will you be doing there?
Me:  Staying in a yurt, so I'm told.  (at this point he looks up from our passports and peers at me a bit curiously)
 
I really didn't mean that to come off sarcastically as it might have sounded, oops!  Anyway, good times were had by all this past weekend at the Pinery, stories too numerous to detail here so you'll just have to ask us for more details, if you care :).  Yes, I did manage to "survive", thank you for asking, although I think the key to any outdoor travel is to go people who have the right equipment and know how to use it!  But really setting up our "shantytown", starting the fire, cooking meals and cleaning up after Ricky the Racoon (who raided our wheat bread, veggies & dip and Sunchips among other favored items) was definitely a team effort with everyone pitching in. Oh, and the reviews are in for the smooth stylings of Jenny, Sarah & Dave's first guitar recital lead by teacher Tim "The Maestro" - two thumbs up!!  The sunset on the water picture was their unbeatable backdrop, at least until the rain came in and we all scrambled for higher ground. 
 
I think most would agree that traveling with family or friends creates memories (good or bad!) that last for years.  It is the idea of getting away from our everyday lives and sharing experiences that keep us dreaming up different ways to use those coveted vacation days.  Mad love to my fellow yurters, thanks for making my first campground experience a great one!
 

A yurt by any other name

T-minus 24 hours before our departure to The Pinery in Grand Bend, Ontario.  I was emailing with two good friends this week who live out of state, and they were like, "you're doing what this weekend?!?".  Right.  Somehow we got talked into joining a group of 18 friends to head off to some random Canadian campgrounds where we will sleep in "yurts" for the weekend, so I've been telling people that we're going "yurting". 
 
Wikipedia definites a "yurt" as a portable, felt-covered, wood lattice-framed dwelling structure traditionally used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia.  (Umm, Kim Kim, is that you in this picture??)  Anyway, I'm holding my breath that ours will better resemble, say, an upscale log cabin in rustic Pottery Barn-like furnishing :). 
 
In the meantime, I've been working on my jokes for weekend, and this is what I have so far: "So some teachers, engineers, and a nurse, doctor, lawyer & psychologist walked into a yurt..."

 

A hero inside us all?

I don't know about you, but reading the news during this recession period often seems to bring down my mood, so much of it is depressing!  So when I saw an article on the 2009 Carnegie Hero Awards, I searched for the link to read about their stories. I think what I liked best was that these are everyday heroes who rose the aid of strangers; these were not athletes, big shooters in the business world or Hollywood-types that we're so quick to give praise to, but then gossip about and tear down when negative news comes out on these same "rising stars".  Anyway, thought I'd share in case you needed a dose of optimism about your fellow man. http://www.carnegiehero.org/awardees_recent.php 
 
P.S.  To the man in the camouflage overalls who pulled over on I-96 in the winter of 1993 to help a teary-eyed young lady to manuever her car back onto the road in the dark and swirling snowy conditions - thank you so much!!!  I'm pretty sure I was way too flustered to even ask your name to properly thank you (I believe you simply nodded and told me to get on safely and got back into your truck and back on your way), but I have often thought of your anonymous act of kindness!

Living, loving, and learning

Today we're celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary, and I think we should take it as a testament to our marriage that we already feel like we've always been married and can't imagine life any other way.  Honey, here's to getting to know each other and putting up with each other for many committed years ahead!  :)  I love you dearly. 
 
P.S.  Not-so-funny fact: Prior to yesterday's victory, the last time the Detroit Lions won a game was before we were even engaged.  Yikes!  Go....team?!

A matter of perspective

I think this picture was taken when we were leaving the Boboli Gardens in Florence, Italy, and now I wish we could be instantly transported back (given that getting back on another long international flight isn't something that I would relish doing again right away!).  I've been telling friends and co-workers that our trip had its share of both relaxing moments and stressful travel incidents, but that we ultimately feel fortunate that we were able to go. 
 
But isn't it amazing how at any given moment we can sometimes wish we were somewhere else?  We wish we could be zapped out of a boring meeting, that we could be back at home in our own comfortable bed, that we could be on a tropical island sipping an umbrella drink - you get the picture.  So I guess the challenge is to "live in the moment" as they say, though that can be a hard pill to swallow for a planner like myself.  But also that there are so many things in life to brood over, personal tragedies that strike suddenly, daily ups and down.  These things make me grateful for all the relationships that I am lucky to cherish, so today I'm working on gratefulness! 

My new man

OK, not really, but the hubs did get some new sexy specs.   The smoky brown tortoise shell color doesn't really show well here, but I can confirm that they are super cute on him! :)

Birthday macarons

No, not the macaroons that we make in America, but the French kind, macarons, which may or not translate into "fabulously delicious" :).  We left Paris today for Brussels, and in the last 12 hours I've had the equivalent of two full ones in the form of 4 halves in 4 different flavors - so far my hands down favorite is the pistachio!  A slight crunch on the outside, chewy on the inside, and a sweet creamy filling.  Who needs birthday cake??  Bon nui, mon amis!

P.S.  Jodi's pad in Brussels is amazing, think of a spacious Paris apartment with high ceilings, crown moulding, and sweet party terrace.  Pictures later!

Lost in translation - part 1

I say part 1 because I'm guessing that there will be more "lost in translation" stories following our trip given that neither of us speak French or Italian, in fact because I know several basic Spanish phrases (though I should know much more as I took 6 years of it between high school & college classes!) and was able to utilize them during a trip to Spain a few years ago I am somehow overconfident that I can quickly learn some key phrases that we need by memorizing them on the plane off of these laminated cards that we got from Borders for $8 each.  Sounds like a plan, right??

So I wanted to see if we could still make dinner reservations for a restaurant at a hotel nearby where we are staying in the Loire Valley towards the end of our trip, and I decided to email my questions in French, and simply plugged them smugly into www.freetranslation.com.  I felt truly Parisian, and was delighted to see a quick response resting in my email inbox.  But I was crestfallen when I opened it up and realized that I in fact could not read a lick of the message, but after going back to the website and figuring out what he meant (and it said it was from the hotel owner, how cute is that?), I savored the first note in French that I've ever received, I'll post an excerpt here: 

 

"Chère Madame,

 

Nous vous remercions de votre message, nous serons heureux de vous accueillir à l'Auberge pour le dîner du Dimanche 13 septembre 2009 à 7.30pm.

 

Merci de nous reconfirmer le nombre de couverts souhaités.

 

Bien cordialement,"

 
Oui, oui, sounds good to me, whatever he said!  Never fear for those of you who can actually read that, I did write back and confirm the number and names within our party :). 
 
The second story has nothing at all to do with our trip, but just cracked me up.  Several weeks ago our nephew Kieran asked so many questions about me having a baby that I asked him if his mom/my sister put him up to it (both of them deny this).  And no, we are not currently trying to get pregnant, before I move on!  Anyway, these questions included where the baby would come from, how many there would be and what gender, and most importantly, whether he should go to the store and buy toys for them :).  Still more hilarious was his younger sister Tanith who just repeats what he says and pipes into the conversation by saying things like "you already had the babies?" as she looks down at my not-exactly-flat stomach - ha!  So Kieran concludes that it would be best for me to have two at one time, both boys so he can play with them. Oh boy. Then last week I made the mistake of telling him about my friend's new babies - that only served to confuse him.  I told him that our friends had two girls, but because they came out little they would need to stay at the hospital (my sister's work) for a bit to grow and then they could go home, but it would be fun to go to the store and buy them some presents.  Apparently he is a thinker like my husband and shares the same penchant for delayed processing :), because the other night he repeatedly asks my sister if they can go to the store and buy some presents for my babies.  She patiently explains to him that I don't have any babies, but my friend does, but he got quite upset and was insistent that I do already have them (where he thinks we stash them when he comes over to our house every weekend is beyond me!).  She was cracking up and he was getting upset that she didn't believe him.  Funny little guy, he is!
 
I'll leave you with those stories, and look forward to sharing more soon.  5 European cities in 11 days, here we come!!!
 
 

"Collecting Facebook friends is the equivalent of being a catlady"

OK so that isn't very nice, but it's just one of the lines in this article http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/256implp.asp?pg=1 that my friend sent me by a Facebook hater that seriously made me laugh out loud.  Oh, don't get all bent out of shape, it's a funny piece.  Go ahead, you know you want to read it...
 
My friend also mentioned to me that some Christian groups have suggested giving up Facebook use for Lent, which I think speaks pretty loudly to it's addictive qualities - yikes!
 
 

Searching for joy

"Remember to serve (J)esus first, (O)thers second, and (Y)ourself last", these were the instructions given to us by the volunteer coordinator at a back-to-school rally for Central Detroit Christian www.centraldetroitchristian.org this past weekend.  That catchy acronym was provided even after Pastor Harvey Carey from Citadel of Faith gave his own volunteer pep talk, saying that when we serve others we should turn our thinking from serving others in the name of Jesus to serving others as if we were serving Jesus himself.  Wow, doesn't that change the perspective entirely?? 
 
As part of our pre-marriage counseling we were asked to come up with some ways we hoped we could define ourselves as a couple in 5 years, and one of the things we chose was that we would have "servant hearts".  This could include serving God, our family & friends, our community, our marriage.  So nearly one year later as we prepare for a trip as an early celebration of our 1-year wedding anniversary that we've been looking forward to, it occurred to me that we should check back on each of these things and see how we're doing.  We'll make this one of our vacation discussions, but as with any personal goals, we could use a little prayer to help us focus on this, and the persistence to pick up and try, try again when we fall short. 

A member of our church passed away this week, and some video clips and his family blogposts have been going around, and as I was reading through some of his thoughts from some months ago, one of his lines struck me: "God is our anchor and we fully accept His plan for us."  This from a man who has now moved on from his short earthly life and leaves behind a wife and young children who are no doubt still reeling from their loss.  May his prayer also be mine and yours today...

Spacious heart, gracious mind

At least that's what I think the yoga instructor said as we left class sometime after 9pm on Wednesday night, I had forgotten that they recently switched the format to a "gentle yoga" class, which this past week suited me just fine given that it was one of the more stressful work weeks that I'd had in a while.  While I normally try to skip the yoga rhetoric entirely and concentrate more on the stretching and stress-relieving techniques, I found myself following along the theme of the class and trying to focus on ways on how I could be more grateful in my life; for I certainly have much to be grateful for but stopping to think about them often gets lost in the busyness of everyday life.  I was still thinking about this during my quick 3-minute commute back home, and I remembered to check the mail since that is usually a task performed daily by the hubs, but at the time he was out of town for work.  I trudged upstairs flipping through the junk mail, and tore open a little envelope with sweet butterflies on it bearing an unfamiliar return address.   It was a thank you note no doubt written by a woman, there's a young family from our church who is going through an inconceivably difficult time as the husband (and father of small children) is losing his battle with a brain tumor.  I think we had sent them some fast food gift cards a few weeks back when someone coordinated getting them some things they were in need of.  I sat down - hard - alone in the dimness of my unlit house and wept silently.  Here is a wife and a mother struggling through the darkness days she has ever seen, and she took the time to put a stamp on a handwritten card and sent it to people they've never even met, a thank you that was not necessary; in fact, an acknowledgment that brought my self-pitying thoughts of the week to a grinding halt.   I suppose the moral of the story is not only that I should be persistent in practicing gratefulness in my own life, but I hope that we can all realize that even the small gestures we make can provide comfort to others, so let's all keep our eyes open for those opportunities, shall we?

 

The Color Green

So this past week I had to drive six hours (well, seven, including the delays at the borders) one way through Canada and New York for a business trip. The drive through southern Ontario and western New York is very similar to the drive back to my hometown of Champaign, Illinois, the drive back to my alma mater of Purdue, and similar to the drive to Waterloo, Iowa, where I interned with John Deere. During my time in Iowa, I often listened to the music of Rich Mullins on my way in to work. Most folks know of Rich Mullins as the 1980's version of Chris Tomlin, writing praise anthems sung often, maybe too often, in modern churches. But some of his other works are simply sublime - "52:10", a piano driven song with the words from the verse from Isaiah, and "Creed", the Apostle's Creed set to the sounds of the hammer dulcimer. On our way back, on the 401 in Canada, my iPod shuffled to another one of my favorite Rich Mullins songs, "The Color Green." The lyrics of the chorus are as follows:

Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands
Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land
Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made
Blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise

As we made our way towards London, the wind was working its way through bountiful corn fields in a wave of green. In Michigan, the corn isn't looking quite as bountiful, thanks to the cool, wet weather of this past June. But that same weather is responsible for the bountiful blueberry, cherry, and apple crops from Michigan farmers. It reminds me of God's provision for us. The conditions may not be right for God to provide for us this season in the same way he provided for us last season - but, praise be to God, those same conditions will allow God to provide for us a different bounty - one that will sustain us. May our hearts, like those fields, be filled with praise.

Cruisin'

Today is the Woodward Dream Cruise, the annual celebration of classic cars. It's a polarizing event for many Detroiters. Many folks love taking their classic car out to cruise Woodward on a beautiful day in August. Others hate the traffic, the difficulty in getting across town during the cruise, and how it has morphed into a week long event, to the point that you can see folks sitting in their lawn chairs on a Monday evening, watching a few classic cars amongst the normal rush hour traffic. Many even schedule their vacations around the cruise.

Personally, I'm a little torn by the cruise. I love the democracy of it - how anyone with any car can cruise Woodward, from a Model T to a 48 Dodge to a 57 Chevy to a 79 Chevette. And I've got to appreciate anything that causes folks to come from out of state to visit Detroit and help support our economy. But I haven't gone to the cruise proper for a few years, and I won't be going this year. Breathing in the exhaust fumes from many cars built before emissions standards isn't my favorite. And even though I work for an auto maker, I'm not really in to the classic car scene. I think classic cars are cool, but I couldn't look at a Bel Air and tell you the model year.

If you enjoy the cruise, you've got a beautiful day for it - but if you don't enjoy the cruise, you've got a beautiful day to enjoy all of the other great things Detroit has to offer!

Breakfast for dinner, anyone?

We had some friends over for dinner last weekend, and one remarked that one thing she missed about being single was that she could simply eat cereal for dinner, not sure whether or not she just meant that it's a lot less work (though her husband usually cooks) or she just likes cereal that much :).  But I can certainly sympathize with the idea of keeping it simple, because even though I do like cooking, I can now appreciate now that I'm married that it takes much more energy to plan ahead for meals, shop for the ingredients (luckily the hubs is great about runs to the store since he gets home from work earlier than I do) and pull something together after being tired after a full day of work - and I don't even claim to do this every night of the week.  All this and we don't even have kids yet, yikes. 

 

I usually make a mess in the kitchen, don't adhere to recipes down to the letter, and agree with many shortcut tactics a la Rachael Ray (who Grandma Smith thinks I look like, how funny is that??), so if you have ideas for good meals that can be made quickly and with only a few ingredients, send them my way (thanks Liz for posting the recipe for roasted shrimp & broccoli, I've made it twice now!).  But my partner is happy stay out of my way in the kitchen, clean up afterwards, and is not hard to please with meals, thank goodness.  I don't even think he minded last night that I served up a veggie brunch-like meal, consisting of a mostly egg-white frittata (finished product pictured) and rounded off our plates with some artichoke hearts w/ dill, chunks of honeydew melon and sprouted wheat bread topped with honey.  I had brunch, I mean dinner, on the table in under 30 minutes, tasty treat! 

Fear the fro, again

It's no secret that my favorite former player of the Detroit Pistons was Ben Wallace, but now heeee's baaaaack!  Yes, we'll take him, injuries and all, and invite him back into the paint to wreak havoc on our opponents.  Welcome home, Big Ben!

Like a sister

What does that expression "like a sister" really mean, anyway?  Well, I can definitely say that my sister Aimee's best friend Patricia fits that bill.  They've been tight since meeting on the playground in the 5th grade, and she was a permanent fixture at our parents house, holidays, family gatherings and pretty much any occasion where good eats were readily available (you'd be surprised how much that tiny girl can eat! :).   Smart as a whip, entertaining and with an unmistakable hearty laugh, she is always fun to be around.   She recently accepted a teaching job in Maryland, and left yesterday to start that new chapter in her life.  We're proud of her and wish her the best, but our karoake showdowns will not be the same unless she can be here to participate.  Aimee misses you already, Trish!


 

Summer eating

I don't think I'm alone in marking so many highlights of the summer around food.  Trying new restaurants, celebrating special events (like my dad's birthday yesterday, which we celebrated Sunday, and our 10-"monthiversary" today) and writing random food thoughts on one's own blog :).  My whole family is making the trek to Chicago this weekend to celebrate my brother-in-law's (40th, ahem) birthday, and of course the main celebration will take place over - you got it, lots of food. 
 
Our friend's birthday was this past weekend and her mother who was in town commented that the Michigan economy didn't seem so depressed because every place they went to eat around town here had a wait for a table!  But, in fact, the 'for sale' signs on homes and the many shuttered small businesses tell a different tale.  There are certainly things we can all do to help out, and the media outlets have been touting this profound statistic in recent months:

"According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture, if each family in Michigan started spending $10 per week of their grocery bill on Michigan products, we would keep more than $37 million in Michigan, EACH WEEK."
 
I've noticed that all of the groceries that we regularly frequent, particularly Whole Foods & Nino Salvaggio's, have increased their marketing of products grown in Michigan, and for good cause, I say.  So give up a few Starbucks lattes this week and buy some products locally, like these candy-like rainier cherries that I packed in my lunch today that we picked up from Eastern Market the weekend before last.  I think we could all use a summer boost!
 
P.S.  Happy anniversary, Mr. & Mrs. Mac - hope you are having a special meal of your own to celebrate!

Making the right connection

Those who know me well know that I am a big believer in making connections, and while I am lucky to have met a ton of people through my job, volunteer involvement, church and friends, I don't think that it's having a fat Rolodex that matters - it matters if you can make good on those connections when you see a need.  Some people are great at this, regardless of whether you need to hire a DJ or a landscaper, get a restaurant recommendation or find a job; there's always someone who knows someone who can help you!  Certainly in a weak economy, these connections become all the more important, and hey, who couldn't use some extra good karma these days?
 
Just this morning I reached out to two friends and asked if they'd be willing to help another two friends of mine (on two different matters), and they both replied right away no problem they would do what they could to make something happen - and these favors would benefit people they've never met, mind you!  So I feel lucky to know all of you (and not just have you in my list of contacts!), and be a part of a generous community of friends who are often willing to lend a hand to others.
 
P.S.  If you have a specific need right now, don't hesitate to ask.  Even random requests are welcome (though I fear I may be opening the door wide open with that statement :).  No guarantees on positive results, but I will always try my best!

 

Experiments in baking

I've recently had success in using baking substitutes (namely whole wheat flour and organic cane sugar) in some of my favorite recipes: oatmeal raisin cookies, zucchini bread, blueberry pancakes.  So then I thought I'd go a step - or two - further when I was baking last night, and substituted the sugar for light agave nectar, and half the oil with unsweetened applesauce.  Let's just say I would've been better off sticking with my first modified recipe for mom's zucchini bread, as the result was a faster-cooking (read: brown), drier and much blander version.   We've decided to still eat it and just drizzle it with a bit of honey or peanut butter so that it masks the extreme-vegan taste, which pretty much defeats the substitutions in the first place!  Oh well, lessons learned.

What the couscous?

So last weekend we come home from shopping at Whole Foods, and as the hubs is helping me put away the groceries (he is very helpful in this area even though I sometimes find purchases in random places :), he calls out "sweetie, where should I put the quinona?", and he says it like it rhymes with Winona.  We had a good laugh over this when I explained that it is actually pronounced "KEEN-wah".  Ha! 
 
Joking aside, he has been a very good sport in accepting new whole grains into his diet from my cooking, including such tasties as quinoa, whole wheat pasta, bulgur, brown rice, whole wheat flour and/or rolled oats in my baked breads and cookies.  So let's hear it for fiber, people.  It's official, brown is better :).  Just so you know...

 

everyday miracles

A couple friends & I have been studying the gospel of Mark, working our way through the stories of various miracles (think fishes & loaves), and it got me to thinking.  I know that I'm often guilty of compartmentalizing the idea of "miracles" to those of bible tales, miraculous wonders of nature etc, instead of appreciating the little everyday miracles that happen all around us.  Then there are those in desperate situations who pray to God for a miracle in their lives or in the lives of their loved ones, and when those prayers seem to go unanswered and all seems lost, they still remain steadfast in their faith.  It is seeing and hearing stories of those people and their faith that challenge me to the core, and it makes me wonder about how strong my own faith really is.  I've been thinking about this idea of having your faith "tested", which I suppose in some ways is not unlike feeling like the kids or your co-workers are testing your patience, or feeling tested in your relationships - but with much higher stakes.  I guess I should learn to allow God to speak to me through the everyday lessons I'm presented with, and pray that I would be changed by them.  
 
Talk about a test of faith, if you'd like to see one couple's story about their son Eliot, check this out, it is the single best thing I've seen on YouTube to date (thanks Kim for passing it along).  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-qkq0  You'll need to grab a tissue first, but the story is beautiful, I promise!

Dining al fresco

Al fresco - defined as an adjective meaning "in the fresh air; outdoors".  Or, if you're my 4-yr-old nephew, "al fresco means eating outside!"  A couple weeks ago he learned this little tidbit from his dad and repeated this to me several times (usually starting his sentence with an excited "guess what, Tita?!" as most of his sentences to me do), however he was quite perturbed when he later discovered that eating outside made him "hot".  Ha!  Out of the mouths of babes.
 
But I must say that this is truly one of my favorite aspects of summer (in addition to summer fruits and cute open-toed shoes!); last weekend we grilled out, had some wine at an open-air bar www.thegrapevineofnovi.com , and went to a backyard bbq at our friends' house (thanks Kim & Mike!) complete with summer white sangria.  We continued the trend this past holiday weekend, with picnicing and fireworks at the Greenfield Village, picnicing and fireworks in Birmingham, a bbq at my sister's house, and tasty treats downtown/midtown at the Comerica Cityfest.  For someone who attacks most outdoor activities with at least 45 SPF sunscreen, I couldn't get enough of the outdoors these last couple days, and even suggested we take our niece & nephew to the nature center in Troy, and the next day the hubs agreed to a not-so-brisk walk on the Paint Creek trail through Rochester.
 
So here's to doing the whole Michigan summer al fresco - enjoy!!
 
P.S.  Full disclosure: no, alas, this is not a picture of our backyard garden, rather, it is the charming chateau hotel Le Clos D'Amboise in France where we'll spend the last two nights of our fall Europe excursion. 

My husband the Detroiter

I meant to blog about this a week ago, but what can I say, it's another busy summer and we're out and about doing things!  Anyway, last week I'm picking up around the house and walking around from room to room, and I hear a loud "Yeeessss!" coming from the family room, where the hubby was watching the Tigers beat the Cardinals (sorry Grandma Smith & Allison!), and it put a secret smile on my face.  Despite the fact that he's not a native Michigander, he's a Tigers fan, a Pistons fan, a Red Wings fan, a Lions...well okay he's decidedly not a fan of them, but you get the picture. 
 
Despite the fact that the day GM recently filed for bankruptcy marked the same day of his 10-year anniversary with the company (true story), he generally reports that his life in Michigan has proved fruitful (I mean, he met & married me, right? :).  I'm so grateful that his life path brought him here, and can't wait to see what happens next!

Fighting daily demons

Don't you hate how much seemingly little things in life can so often set you back - like a stressful meeting at work, an argument with a family member or spouse, even reading a disheartening news article about yet another senseless killing or kidnapped child?  And yet when your days are going well - long summer nights outside with friends, happiness in a relationship - it is so easy to forget the hurting and despair that lurks just around the corner deep within the hearts of people feeling lost?  Well, find hope and take solace, friends - in each other, in the word of God, and in believing that love conquers all.  Book recommendation: I'm more than halfway through "Three Cups of Tea" and it has been a very interesting read of a man providing help to others in his own unusual quest to heal his own hurts and find his purpose.
 
Romans 5
 
 ¹Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Live long and prosper

Who thinks that ladies wouldn't be interested in Star Trek?  Not me!  Four other gal pals joined in the fun last night, and everyone enjoyed the flick.  I got hooked on Star Trek TNG (The Next Generation) by sister Debbie in high school, and the new movie did not disappoint.  It will definitely reside in our DVD collection some day.  The classic push and pull of good vs. evil (spoiler: love wins! :), great effects and an effective soundtrack pleased this moviegoer so much, I'm planning to go again soon and bring the hubby!
 
Also, a friend sent a funny and useful tip to check out www.runpee.com which not only provides helpful suggestions as to the ideal times during a movie to make a run to the bathroom, but even provides an explanation for what you will be missing (this part is optional and accessible only if you choose to press the unscramble button to reveal the info).  Great link to keep on hand if you suffer from frequent runs to the bathroom like me!  Thanks, "cousin" Kim :).

Too blessed to be stressed

OK, so maybe the bumper sticker expression went out of style years ago, but it's not a bad idea to remind yourself of the concept every once in a while, you know?  Things at both of our jobs continue to be pretty stressful, but we both feel blessed to still be collecting paychecks and regularly make decisions to be purposeful about being charitable with our giving.  And with a roof over our head, a happy marriage, and good health, well, you get the picture.
 
We are grateful for our loving families as well, in fact, we had a nice holiday weekend with the Barton's parents in town from Illinois.  They like to joke that they are always well fed when they come for a Michigan visit, and this time was no exception.  Friday night we dined at the Royal Kubo in Clawson, they even let me pick the Filipino fare to sample.  But there was no karaoke indulgence to be had, instead we headed up to Paciugo's for gelato, seriously good stuff, folks.  Saturday morning found us walking on Paint Creek Trail, so we just had a little breakfast & lunch at home before cleaning up and heading down to the DIA to see the Norman Rockwell exhibit, which we all enjoyed.  Afterwards we took them to Polish Village in Hamtramck for an early dinner, they couldn't believe the affordable prices or the line out the door at such an early hour.  We also stopped into the New Palace bakery to pick up a few sweet treats for later before ending the evening walking around downtown Royal Oak and cooling off with some refreshments outside of Bean & Leaf.  Sunday after church we enjoyed a delightful brunch at Josephine's in Ferndale, and in the afternoon we loaded up and headed to my parents house for a little family/friends barbecue, good times and good food!  Monday took on a slower pace, Mr & Mrs Mac headed to Somerset Mall, I stretched my legs with a bike ride before a little work (boo) and some errands in the afternoon before I left the crew with dinner in the fridge so I could visit for a couple hours with my friend Karin who was in town from Florida.  I arrived back home after an apparent Scrabble showdown (hubby won again, that bugger! :), just in time to join the group for a short walk to the local Dairy Queen.  They headed out Tuesday morning to zip up north for a quick trip in Traverse City before driving home.
 
Wow I should really buckle down on the whole calories in/calories out thing, I'm pretty sure that the yoga class that I forced my tired self to last night didn't quite cover the spread, but we had a good time and that is certainly something to be thankful for!

Weekend funny

Clearly, no one will find this as funny as I did, but I had to share.  One Saturday morning I dragged the hubby to the gym, the poor guy hadn't even had this coffee yet, but I was on a tight timeline to get to my next destination for the day so off we went for a quick workout.  Wrapping up the hour, I looked up from the bike to see him just a few feet away perched on the abs machine.  So I mouthed to him "I have two and a half more minutes" and he replies "I know".  So then I say, out loud, "What, how can you know that?" and he says, quizzically, "You just said 'I'm hot for you', right??"  Needless to say, it's a good thing I was just on a stationary bike, or I would have fallen off, laughing!  He's so funny, ha.

A day at the park

They're just so funny/cute!!  Happy Friday, friends.

Birthday sisters

To add to the list of coincidentally similar dates between our two families, the Barton and I both have sisters celebrating birthdays this week!  My younger sister Aimee's birthday is today, his younger sister Allison's is tomorrow.  The first time they met was when Allison came into town for my bridal shower last summer, and it was so nice that all sisters got along swimmingly.  While they are certainly different in many ways, they are both high-spirited and energetic with a love for gab and laughter.  I for one think it's nice to both have sisters who are always fun to be around!

Happy birthday to you both, ladies!

International Super Spy

Saturday night I accompanied Olivia to the annual dinner of the Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce at the Royal Park Hotel. It was a black tie or "ethnic garb" affair, and I chose the former (though I will have another post later about being a White Guy in a Barong.)

When I wear a tuxedo, there's a part of me that feels like I'm Chuck Bartowski pretending to be Charles Carmichael, International Super Spy. (And yes, I have been called International Super Spy, by my nephew Kieran, who picked up the phrase from the Backyardigans.) It's like I don't feel that I belong at a black-tie event, I'm just pretending to be someone who does.

I've been thinking about this recently after reading Malcolm Gladwell's new book Outliers. In his book, he mentions that one of the major differences between children raised in middle and upper class househoulds is that they are taught to be comfortable in situations, to be confident enough to ask a doctor questions, for example, when compared to children raised in lower class households. Failure to feel comfortable in situations helps to explain the difference in achievement between children from different economic backgrounds.

I've been learning a lot about this through my wife. I am amazed at how she is able to feel comfortable and be herself in all situations, from public speaking to formal situations down to looking in the clearance aisle at K-Mart for cheap ways to help stage my house last year. When I'm with her I feel more comfortable with who I am. I'm no longer playing the role of International Super Spy, I'm me. And that's just one of the reasons why I love her!

New wheels

My husband bought me a new car last week, a new 2009 Buick Enclave.  Yes, that's right, one day he sold my Lexus while I wasn't looking and is now forcing me to drive a GM just to get around!!  Okay, perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration.  I'll admit it, I was a little bit in love with my last car, but since I'm more than a little bit in love with my husband we made the decision together to get some new wheels.  I'll post a picture after I have a chance to run through the car wash since a little birdie decided to leave me a present, ahem.
 
But let me just take a moment to complain about the 3 GM dealerships we went to, because I found the common thread to be quite interesting - no one tried to sell me a car.  And no, I don't mean people ignored me or flat out lied to me (like at Suburban Mazda where I walked away from when shopping for a previous car-boo), I mean the sales staff could barely be bothered to answer questions that I had, much less encourage me to spend quite a few pennies on one of their cars.  It was completely bizarre, and the hubby mused that perhaps it was because they are so used to people with employee-related discount sales that they don't put in a big effort.  But even that explanation doesn't sit well with me in that they still stand to make a little money off of even those sales, so why not try to have people buy through you?  Oh, and also I could have done without the loud gripes about GM by some employees at two of those places (we had to go looking for someone to even greet us at the third place), not helping matters folks.  Lastly, had I known about the discriminatory remark one salesperson made about some other customers after they left the dealership, I would've pitched a famous fit but alas I had left the dealership feeling ill and I let the Barton deal with all the paperwork.  Don't worry, as the manager will receive a copy of my strongly worded survey reply!
 
Anyway, so far so good on the new car, now only if some of the people within the GM supply chain could hop on the don't-call-it-a-comeback bandwagon, perhaps we'll see light at the end of the tunnel yet.
 
P.S.  Hey OnStar chick, I didn't appreciate you being so flirty with my husband even after you discovered that I was in the car too!  Now if only he didn't enjoy it so much :).

A fresh perspective

As usual, I'm a week or so behind in my weekly copy of Crain's Detroit Business, but this morning I read with interest the (April 20-26) edition that profiles of their twenty in their 20's list http://www.crainsdetroit.com/assets/html/twenties09.html.  While many were "creative" types, others were successful in a more standard business career path, and I found myself reading each of their comments about why they live in the metropolitan Detroit area. So many of them shared the common thread of feeling rewarded if they could thrive in this unique environment lots of us call home.  Stay on and fight my fellow 20-somethings!  Okay fine, so maybe that ship (my 20's) sailed some time ago, but anyway take a peek and try to get inspired yourself. 

Also read this article last week in the Detroit News http://www.detnews.com/article/20090424/SCHOOLS/904240389/1026/MSU+s+$10+million+gift+a+mystery, how cool is that? Basically there's a donor that has given away nearly $70 million in recent weeks to colleges across the country - anonymously.  The only pattern they've found so far is that the 14 schools that have received the gifts are run by women.  Double cool.  But I'll be honest and say that if I had that kind of dough to give away, I'd probably put my name all over it!
 
Lastly, hitting this week's newstand in Fortune magazine is not just the annual Fortune 500 list, but smack dab in the middle of the magazine itself is a 2-page spread that is a simple and effective ad about the Judson Center www.judsoncenter.org, a human services agency where I sit on the board.  A fellow board member who is a GM executive (not sure if he's wanting to be anonymous himself) "donated" the  national ad space by letting Judson use it because it's one of his favorite charities.  Pleae check it out, it's awesome.  If I can get an electronic copy, I'll post it.  

Start small

Since I may have scared off a few readers by asking them to become organ donors (but c'mon folks, don't let them go to waste :), I'll also suggest a few ideas to start small.

I've convinced the hubby (isn't he great??) to join me this week in making a blood donation through the American Red Cross who holds blood drives every week in your backyard www.givelife.org, even though he admits it is not his favorite thing. But here's the deal, as it turns out it is also not my favorite thing to be poked by a needle, but I'm sure that sentiment is also shared by a 2-yr-old at our church whose parents shared a story yesterday of his blood disease and the transfusions that he needs every 6 weeks just to get by. It breaks their heart to watch their little boy and all the other families they meet at the hospital go through the process over and over, and yet they can't even give themselves in case he needs a bone marrow transplant. I do love you my friends - but get over it. No excuses. Please?!!?

For better reading than my whiny/tough love, see the top 10 reasons to give http://www.givelife2.org/donor/top10.asp, and the top 10 excuses http://www.givelife2.org/donor/top10excuses.asp.

Another coolio idea that I recently discovered, an organization called Paper to Pearls www.papertopearls.org that benefits women in Uganda and helps them better their lives through jewelry-making. Seriously, I get to make a difference in someone's live and get a fantastic handmade new necklace to boot? Somebody pinch me. So if you're due to get a present from me this year, guess what it will be?? :)

Have a heart

Hi friends - please consider joining me & my husband by registering to become and organ and tissue donor. April is designated as Donate Life Month, and in Michigan alone 3,000 residents are waiting to receive hearts, livers, lungs, kidney and other organs; but last year in Michigan only 327 people donated organs (which in itself was a record). Nationwide, the number of people waiting for donors is 100,000. God forbid that any of our lives or our loved ones are cut short, but if so your physical body can help so many. One local mother reported that her son Tim tragically died at 17 yrs old in a car accident, but as he was a donor 7 people received his healthy organs and another 158 people were recipients of his tissue donations - what a gift!

Leave a legacy of generosity - join via www.giftoflifemichigan.org or in another states check your state government website.

Helpful hubby

I promise I'm not just trying to be cheesy about the positive attributes of my spouse, but he really can be super helpful to have around! While he readily admits that doing certain things around the house are not exactly top of mind for him, when I ask for assistance with something he is always at the ready. Also, he has figured out how to handle my independent, I'd-rather-do-it-myself mentality, in that he will ask "is there anything I can do to help?" and I'll quickly assess the situation and reply either no thanks I've got it covered, or I'll rattle off a couple of things he can do to assist me. That way I know that he is willing to pitch in if I need it, but I can also let him know that it would be better to just give me my space (especially in the kitchen!).

After deciding that it would be best to stay in our condo this year (stupid economy!), I asked if we could have a bedroom makeover, and he agreed. I also had the benevolent excuse of passing on some of my old furniture to my sister who recently moved into a new place (ironically into an apartment directly across the hall from the one I moved out of almost 5 years ago to the day! weird). Now nearly everything in our room is brand new, all the way down to several new decorative notions including a mirror and tapestry that the hubby hung up yesterday after painstakingly measuring for after I had him reposition both a few times :). So while it's not a new house that I really wanted, it's a new touch that we've added together to a place that still has mostly things I previously bought and decorated with. Didn't he do a great job?!?

Signs of spring

We are still waiting for the season to truly take hold in our fickle-weather state of Michigan, but while I am eagerly anticipating some consistently warm days in which to bring out the peep-toe pumps and slingbacks, I've been keeping my eye out for signs.
 
Thought I'd share a few, including some hopeful glimpses of green in the flower pot that I planted some seed packets in, a bunch of vibrant daffodils that my sister Aimee bought and brought over last weekend, and our mischievous nephew playing in their backyard mud (yes, in his pajamas!).  Ahh, spring, it has been too long, dear friend...